Pennsylvania man charged in wife’s murder nearly 40 years after her disappearance

YORK COUNTY, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania man was arrested and charged Thursday in connection with the disappearance and death of his wife in Bucks County almost 40 years ago, according to WPMT.

William Korzon, 76, has been charged with criminal homicide, criminal solicitation, forgery and perjury, court documents show. Lower Windsor Police served an arrest warrant for Korzon at his Barcroft Road home around 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

Korzon and his wife, Gloria, lived in Warrington Township, Bucks County for approximately ten years -- 1971 to 1981 -- prior to her disappearance.

Gloria went to work at Bridgeport Controls in Montgomery County on March 6, 1981. After that day, she was never heard from or seen again.

Within days, Korzon went to his wife's workplace and advised her manager to terminate her because of poor health and physical health, according to Warrington Township Police. He retrieved her belongings and requested that her final paycheck be sent to their home on Pickertown Road.

An initial investigation was conducted by police into Gloria's disappearance. Two search warrants were also served at Korzon's home in 1986 but police were not able to determine what had happened to his wife.

Eleven years later, the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas declared Gloria legally dead.

In 2018 and 2019, Warrington Township Police and the Bucks County District Attorney's Office re-investigated the case and interviewed Korzon and others in regards to their involvement and/or knowledge of Gloria's disappearance.

Police said that Korzon forged documents, lied to authorities and perjured himself in court to keep up the appearance that his wife was still alive.

Korzon allegedly admitted to forging a Mother's Day card signed by his wife in May 1981 as well as Gloria's final paycheck, credit union check and tax return.

Police noted that Korzon also forged documents and perjured himself in 1988 during a court hearing to determine the estate of Gloria. It's alleged that he perjured himself to determine that percentage of property he was entitled to from the estate.

Korzon also admitted to assaulting his wife, which numerous authorities across Pennsylvania documented between 1968 -- when they moved to Philadelphia -- and Gloria's disappearance. Gloria suffered multiple injuries, including a broken arm and collarbone, damage to her nasal bone, and a black eye, police allege.

Korzon told police that his wife obtained a Protection From Abuse (PFA) Order against him but she withdrew it because he bought her a ring. Police noted that Gloria documented the abuse against her in a series of letters she wrote to her attorney. Gloria also wrote a letter to her father, advising him not to open it unless something happened to her.

Korzon continued to be questioned and at one point he asked, "Did you find the body?"

Outside a district court in Bucks County, Korzon told reporters "She went to Florida."

Korzon's Barcroft Road neighbor, Morris Spahr, said he lives next to Korzon for roughly 20 years.

He described him as pretty quiet and mostly keeping to himself, saying he never heard from Korzon unless he needed something.

He said Korzon expressed an interest in racing and did side jobs, such as lawnmower repairs.

"It’s crazy, you know? Knowing him and stuff…never thought he would’ve done something like that," said Spahr.

Spahr said he first started seeing law enforcement activity around Korzon's home earlier this year.

“Bringing a lot of attention to usually the attention ain’t at. It’s usually pretty quiet around here, that’s definitely liveing it up," said Spahr.